My mother prided herself on"setting a good table" and so there was always plenty of food at mealtimes.
Every fortnight, just before pay day, my newly wed sister and her husband would arrive "to visit" and of course would stay for tea.

Dad grew annoyed at this "freeloading" and spoke to my mother about it.
She, however, wouldn't say anything to them lest they took offence.

So Dad sat and seethed in silence while his eldest daughter's hated husband, Aidan,scoffed and quaffed his way through the table of viands before him.

One night Mum made soup and every one had a large bowlful.
My second eldest brother ,Bob,loved soup and had a second serve.

My brother-in-law promptly asked for another serve too.
Which he guzzled down with such gusto, my mother was forced to ask him to "make less noise ".

He complied , but sulked afterwards, much to my father's pleasure.

A few days later the younger members of our family were seated around the kitchen table having a treat of ice cream and jelly.

Some other children were there too and one asked my younger brother "Who eats the most in your family?"
We all knew the answer to that question, but before he could answer, our youngest child, four-year-old Christopher, piped up,
"Bob does." Bob worked as a builders' labourer and was a strong, heavily built man who ate accordingly.

There were never leftovers if Bob had been at the table.

Giving me one of his angelic smiles Chris added,
"but Aidan makes more noise than Bob does." He looked pleased when everyone laughed.

Dad was awake and listening to the chatter from his bed in the next room.
When the other children had gone, Dad emerged in a very good mood.

His usual mode of approval was " a pat on the head" and a word of praise.

But,,Chris hit paydirt. Dad sent me to the shop for double icecreams "for
everybody" and sat with us licking his icecream with great relish.